Olivia TusseyIf you’ve been wondering how to celebrate the holidays more sustainably this year, look no further! Here are all of my favorite sustainable living tips you can incorporate into your life this Thanksgiving (plus, a lot of these can be used for Christmas and other holidays as well!)
1. Avoid Disposable Tableware: This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your waste and be more sustainable around the holidays. When single-use plates, utensils, and napkins are simply not given as an option, they won’t be used, and therefore won’t contribute to landfills!
2. Use Natural Decorations: Rather than buying plastic decorations from your nearest home-goods store, DIY some leaves, sticks, and other materials you can find right outside your door into beautiful fall décor!
3. Buy Food Locally When Possible: When you buy food (whether it be ingredients or pre-made dishes) this Thanksgiving, try and hit up your local groceries and markets before heading to stores like Walmart.
4. Eat Less Meat: I get it – Thanksgiving is the time for turkey. But think of all the amazing Thanksgiving dishes that don’t involve meat! Most meat you will find these days (including the beloved turkey) was raised on factory farms with a laundry list of negative environmental impacts. Avoiding buying and eating meat as much as possible will help lessen your footprint this holiday season.
5. Compost Food Scraps: Check out this super informative and helpful guide on everything you can compost! If you don’t have your own compost pile, you can always look into local food scrap collection programs.
6. Making Use of Leftovers: There are endless possibilities for how you can reinvent your Thanksgiving leftovers into new recipes, which can help make sure as much of the food you made gets eaten as possible– read just a few of them here.
7. Donate Leftovers: Do some research to find local shelters and food recovery programs you can donate any unused food items to. There are generally guidelines for what they will and won’t take, so be sure to check those out ahead of time!
8. Recycle Everything you Can: I’m looking at you, aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic jugs, cardboard and paperboard boxes! Make sure to check local recycling guidelines so you don’t dispose of anything that can’t be recycled (or miss anything that can be).
Be on the lookout for my next Sustainability List for the December Holiday Season!
Pick at least TWO things from this list and make it happen this holiday season!
